August 1, 2014 – Ottawa, ON – Employment and Social Development Canada
The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, has announced that the Agreement on Social Security between Canada and the Federative Republic of Brazil comes into force today, August 1, 2014. This Agreement will enable Canada and Brazil to coordinate pension benefits and contributions for people who have lived or worked in both countries. The Agreement will coordinate the operation of Canada’s Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan programs with the comparable pension programs of Brazil.
This Agreement supports the goals of Canada’s Strategy for Engagement in the Americas and its vision of a more prosperous hemisphere, a foreign policy priority since 2007.
This new Agreement will benefit Canada and Brazil by:
- helping eligible individuals qualify for old age, disability and survivor benefits based on their affiliation to each country’s pension system;
- permitting continuity of social security coverage when an employee is sent to work temporarily in the other country and eliminating situations where the employer and employee might have to contribute to two countries’ social security programs for the same work. As a result, employees sent by their Canadian employers to work temporarily in Brazil can continue to contribute to the Canada Pension Plan and are exempt from contributing to the comparable pension programs in Brazil for the same work;
- exempting Canadian employers from paying Brazilian pension plan contributions for their employees sent to work temporarily in Brazil. As well, Brazilian companies and their employees sent to work in Canada will benefit from the same advantages.This will result in substantial savings and increase the economic competitiveness of Canadian and Brazilian companies operating in each other’s territory.
Alexandra Fortier
Office of the Minister
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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The Agreement on Social Security will enable Canada and Brazil to coordinate the operation of Canada’s Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan programs with the comparable pension programs of Brazil. This new Agreement will benefit Canada and Brazil by:
- helping eligible individuals qualify for old age, disability and survivor benefits based on their affiliation to each country’s pension system; and
- permitting continuity of social security coverage when an employee is sent to work temporarily in the other country and eliminating situations where the employer and employee might have to contribute to two countries’ social security programs for the same work. As a result, employees sent by their Canadian employers to work temporarily in Brazil can continue to contribute to the Canada Pension Plan and are exempt from contributing to the comparable pension programs in Brazil for the same work. The Agreement also exempts Canadian employers from paying Brazilian pension plan contributions for their employees sent to work temporarily in Brazil. As well, Brazilian companies and their employees sent to work in Canada will benefit from the same advantages.This will result in substantial savings and increase the economic competitiveness of Canadian and Brazilian companies operating in each other’s territory.
Canada has signed 58 international social security agreements, of which 55 are in force, with the following countries:
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Austria
Barbados
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey/Guernsey
Korea
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Republic of
Macedonia
Malta
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
St. Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Agreements have also been signed with India, Peru and Serbia, but are not yet in force. They will enter into force once Canada and each of these countries have completed their respective legal processes.
